Chain-fastening device



March 3, 1931. P. FRGEAU' CHAIN FASTENING DEVICE Filed July 2e, 195o Inventor Attorney.:

40 section,

Patented ltd/lar. 3, 1931 Application mea 11113; 26, 1930.v serial- N'. Hogan.

1r.) eh'an'; Y Y n A further object ofthe"inventionis'the pro- Visiono'ff-a fasteningdeviceofthe above character' havingVT n'ie'a'ns for lresilfie'ntly contractingthefends of thecha'nr and'for",securingI the Another 'object of the inventin is the provision of a tightening device' of' thea-beve character which'iscompar'atively simpleand durable inconst'iuction an'dtvzhich'ltvill be v'etticient' for the purposeint'ende'd'.

Other obj ec'ts fandadvant'ages ofthe 'invention \\"ill"become apparent' as 'the' description progresses. l l

'In the accompanyii'ig drawings toi-nung' a E3 part' oi' lthis specification' andiii Wliichlike reference characters are employed todesignate corresponding parts throughout' the same: l Y Y y Figure' 1 is aperspec'tivevievv oftlieassen'i- 39 bled device', v

Figure 2 is adongitudinal central section through 'the same,

Figure' 3 isape'rspective view' showing theV fastening device" applied on anti-skidch'ain's,

Figure i is a side elevational view shoi'vin'g the" automatic tighten'ii'ig of the'side chains upon the Vbreakage of afpair' of' cross chains,

Figure 5 is afside' elevational vieiv' ofthe device Vin extended position, partly in cross Figure' is a'frontfe'levat'ional view'p'ar'tly in section",fa"lid n Y FigureV 7' is af' transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring to the'dra'xvings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 20 generally designates the casing of the astener which' is in the form of a tube formed of 50 metal or other suitable materia-lopen at the ends. At oneside, the casing 20 is formed with a sti-'aight longitudinaly slot 21'term1natmg adjacent the endsthereo'f'.

At the rear end of the casing 2O 1s secureda trans vcr'sely extending pin 22', the purpose of' which ivilloe" later described. On the side opposed to the slot 2l, and adjacent the'tory Ward endiofthe casing-"is'tormed a rectangular shapedaper'tur'e having 'formed at transversely opposed sides a pair of outwardlyv projecting ears 23 apertured to engage a bearing pin 24' adjacent' their outer ends. Y,

Mounted'for longitudinal,adjustment wit`ninthe casing'f20'isa slide member 25 also preferably of tubular construction arranged con clentrically Within'the easing and telescpically slidable therein. rIlle slide' member 25is preferably op'enat the ends and is formed, at on'e exterior side, With a longitudinally extending toothed rack it arranged to coincide iifvith'the rectangular aperture in the casing. Attached to the opposed side ot the slide me'u'iberV 25 is a screw 27 extending" radially outward to slidably' engage the longitudinal slpt`21 of the casing, to limiti the lo'ngitudinall `sliding`n10'vemen"t of the slide member.

Disposed Withinthe tubular slide member 25 andhavingone' end attachedi'tothe pin 22 and the opposed end hooked through an aperture adjacent the outer toi'ivard endofthe slide member is a coiledI compression spring 2,8 designedto normally' urge the slide member to a" retractedI position Within the casinO;

An adjustable catcliis'disposed to engage the rack port/ionof the'slide member Vt'o'lock the same inextended or iiia retracted position; VIn the' present ihstance'Vthis', catch member is in the'forni of an annular pinion gear 30 having-peipherafl gear Yteeth 8l disposed to mesh ivith the te'eth'of ther'aclr 26. The pinio'ii() is formed with a transverse bore arranged eccentric'allvv" therethrough,

throughivli'ich is eXtei led he' bearing pin the y'pinion heingdisp ed betiveenthe ears 23 'with' theV major portion project-ing out- Wardly'ai'id adjustable' longitudinally to engage' the ralrteeth v4atneither -side" of ftiiebearing. The pinion 30 is normally urgedtoa rearwardly*dir'etedf rfcli position by means ot a iframe 3a, the intermediate portion ol which is coiled about the bearing pin 2i, having one end bent about the edge oit one ear 23 while the opposed end is attached to a projection E3 extending from one side of the pinion at a position diametrically opposed to the projection of the bearing pin Qt.

Securely tastened about the intermediate portion oi? the casing- 9.0 a metallic sleeve 355, the ends beine disposed in contacting radially extending' arrangement to form a loop 236 engageable with the exterior link of a cross chain.

In use, one end ot the side chain of an anti-skid chain, generally indicated at 4d, is attached to the rear end of the casing 2O in connection with apertures 41 formed there-l in. rlie opposed end of tne side chain is conneced with the outer tor vard extremity ot the slide member 25, the end link ot the side chain being exteni'led through transverse apertures l therein. One ot the cross chains ronnccted with the sleeve loop 3G to retain the device in proper position on the wheel.

lrior to the connection of the side chain to the outer forward end ot the slide memberz the slide is extended by adjusting the pinion catch SO to an intermediate position and drawing` the slide member outwardly against the tension ot the spring 28. The catch is then swung` forwardly so that the pinion teeth will engage the rack to lock the slide member in extended arrangement, the tension of the spring causing the pinion to retain a locking` position.

lVhen the ide chain is connected to the outer end ot the slide member, the catch member is adjusted to an intermediate position and the spring will retract the slide member so as to tightly draw the side chain upon the tire, the catch being released so that it will automatically assume a rearwardly adjusted position in engagement with the rarl lto loc; the slide member against extended movement.

Any slack develoj'iing in the side chains, lor instance due to the breakage ot one or more cross chains as shown in Figure el, will be zuitoinatically taken up by the fastening device er rather by the tension ot the spring which will draw the slide member Viurther inward. The slide will be automatically locked in such retracted position by the catch member which urged against the rack 'for this purpose by the spring 32.

It is lo be understood that the forni ot my invention herein shown and describec to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes as to the shape, size, and arranffement of parts may be resorted to without departing trom the spirit of the invention or the scope ot the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A device of the character described comprising a tubular casing provided with an aperture adjacent one end, a tubular slide member mounted for sliding movement with respect to the casing, means for limiting tlle sliding movement of said slide member, a toothed rack formed on said slide member7 a spring having one end attached to the casingand the opposed end attached to the slide member adapted to normally urge the slide to a retracted position in the casing, and a catch adjnstably connectedwith the casing operable to engage the slide rack to lock the slide member in an extended or a retracted position.

2. A device ofthe character described comprising a tubular casing provided with an aperture adjacent one end, a tubular slide member mounted for sliding movement with respect to the casing, means for limiting the sliding movement ot said slide member, a toothed rack formed on said slide member7 a spring having one end attached to the casing and the opposed end attached to the slide member adapted to normally urge the slide to a retracted position in the casing, a catch adjustably connected with the casing engageable with the rack of the slide member to lo ik the same in an extended or a retracted posfition, and spring means normally urging the said catch into engagement with the rack to automatically lock the slide member against extended movement.

3. A device of the character described comprising a tubular casing formed with a longitudinal slot in one side and an aperture in the opposed side adjacent the forward end, a tubular slide member slidably mounted in the casing operable to an extended or a retracted position with respect to the casing, a toothed rack formed on one side of the slide member, a pin extending from the opposed side of the slide member engageable with the slot in the casing to limit the sliding movement of the said slide member, a spring having one end attached to the rear end ot the casing and the opposed end connected with the forward end of the slide member tending to normally urge the slide member to a retracted position in the casing, a toothed catch adjustably connected with the casingand en- `gageable with the rack of the slide member to hand.

PHILIPPE FRGEAU. 

